


a little guest

by WendigoBaby



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Other, Short & Sweet, alec being a dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-22 02:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11370591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WendigoBaby/pseuds/WendigoBaby
Summary: After Alec becomes Head of the Institute, life sometimes gets a little boring. But there is a certain little warlock that can quickly change that.





	a little guest

The Institute is calm, lulled into stillness; its usually dark and somber walls are painted with blues, reds and pinks from the stained glass windows and the sun dipping low enough to peek through them. Out in the main OPS room, there is maybe a dozen of black-clad Shadowhunters, their fingers lazily swiping across futuristic screens and carding through mission files as they exchange random comments about their days. 

 

But Alec is alone, sat behind the large desk in his office, far away from everyone else; as the Head of the Institute (while the novelty of it has worn off already, thinking about it still sends a spark of satisfaction through his spine), most of his time is taken up by paperwork, diplomatic business and occasional field missions, but significantly less than Alec would like. He misses daily patrols and bickering with his siblings while they kill demons with little to no effort. After a while, staring at the dark walls and the elegant furniture becomes boring and when it feels like the horsehead statue over on the mantelpiece is watching him, Alec puts his pen down and presses the heels of his palms against his eyes. 

 

He sighs deeply, rustling the papers before him – new laws that need a bit of tweaking, because after a consultation with the Downworld Cabinet, the feedback has been decidedly positive, but some wording was advised to be changed and so here he is, mulling over this lawyerly gibberish, while his mind is drifting to places and people he’d rather be with. Alec leans back in the chair and pulls out his phone with the intention of calling Magnus just to hear his voice, but decides against it as he’s staring at the new message he received an hour ago and was not aware of. 

 

_An impromptu meeting with other High Warlocks, I’ll be home an hour late. I love you and miss you dearly._

 

Alec can’t help but smile at all of the affection contained in a simple text, how their most basic communication is still laced with love. His thumbs hover over the screen for a moment before he types up his reply, a soft grin still stuck to his face. 

 

_It’s okay, hope all goes well. I can pick up dinner on the way home? And I love and miss you too, more than you can imagine x_

 

Just as he slides the phone back into his pocket, the lights turn red and a siren echoes between the Institute walls. Amongst the noise, quick and heavy footfalls ring out down the hall, closer and closer until they come to a halt under Alec’s door and one of the Shadowhunters hastily opens the door, big glasses halfway down her nose in the rush and brown hair tussled.

 

“Mr. Lightwood, there’s an intruder in the main hall and they’re demanding to see you.” 

 

Alec stands and follows Lindsey – while she talks, they cross the labyrinth of corridors and he pulls free the Seraph blade attached to his thigh, ready to take on anything and his heart already picking up the rhythm in anticipation. 

 

“Suddenly a portal opened by the entrances and there was this warlock girl and she asked for you.” She explains and soon Alec is able to confirm his suspicions that this is not an attack and instead just a simple misunderstanding.

 

After they round the last corner, he stops abruptly at the sight of Madzie surrounded by his people – blades and arrows aimed at her unmoving, scared form. She looks tiny, a spot of color in her flowery dress amongst the sea of dark charcoal and navy and black. He puts his own weapon in the holster back where it belongs and rushes to stand in front of her, arms outstretched. 

 

“Everyone stand down! She is not a threat.“ Some Shadowhunters hesitate, looking at one another in confusion, but another glance at Alec’s authoritative and stone-cold expression is all it takes for everyone to lower their weapons. It’s obvious he will not allow anyone to hurt her.

 

“That warlock kid broke the law!” There’s an anonymous complaint from the crowd and Alec registers the voice as perhaps belonging to Duncan, someone not too keen on both Alec’s promotion and personal life. 

 

A kid with incredible powers able to end their lives in less than a minute, but Alec doesn’t mention that; most of the personnel doesn’t even know Madzie was the one forcibly helping Valentine, as together with Magnus, they decided it would be best to omit certain details for her safety. 

 

Alec straightens his back and tips his chin up just the smallest bit, his hands now clasped behind his back in a soldier stance. “Everyone, please go back to your previous tasks. I will take care of this situation accordingly and send appropriate notices to the Clave.” 

 

Most of the gathering seems satisfied with that answer, weapons put away and noise dispersing until they’re just the two left even after a few more curious souls linger behind. The siren cuts out and everything returns to the languid silence from before, like the moments before simply didn’t exist. Timid hands grasp at the edge of Alec’s jacket - he turns and crouches down before Madzie with one knee on the cold tiles. He gently takes her by the shoulders, thumbs rubbing circles meant to soothe her nerves, as he smiles at her and she smiles back.

 

“Madzie, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with aunt Catarina?” After Valentine’s massacre, Magnus and Cat decided it would be best that she takes care of the girl – of course, Alec and Magnus have visited her multiple times, with each next one being more fun and open than the last, especially after they managed to make Madzie laugh. She seems to have taken to all three of them, loving them in the loyal way a child can. Lately, with everything going on, they haven’t had nearly enough time to keep up with the schedule and now guilt is weighing down at the bottom of Alec’s chest.

 

“I wanted to see you. So when aunt Cat left for a moment, I portaled here.” Her voice is quiet, but there’s a glimmer of mischievousness in her eyes and Alec can’t help but roll his own. 

 

“You’re gonna give us all a heart attack one day, you little troublemaker.” He tries for his voice to sound chastising, but it comes out with a clear undercurrent of laughter that makes Madzie’s smile so much brighter. She wraps her arms around his neck and buries her face in the shirt Magnus picked for him that morning, so Alec has no choice, but to pick her up and set her against his hip. As he starts making his way back to his office, back warm with all of the stares he doesn’t care about, he fishes his phone back out and singlehandedly types out two short messages.

 

The one to Catarina says: _Madzie’s safe, she portaled to me, don’t worry._

 

The one he sends to Magnus reads: _You won’t believe what just happened._

 

As he reaches the door to his office, he presses a small kiss against Madzie’s hair and sends another short text: 

 

_We might have guests over for dinner._

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr as 'maghnvsbane' <3
> 
> I love you all <3


End file.
